Box dumping machine



Jan. 22, 1952 s QRLANDQ 2,583,490

BOX DUMPING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1947 4 Sheet-Sheet 1 5'. ORLANDO (Ittorneg s Jan. 22, 1952 D. s. ORLANDO BOX DUMPING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed may 19, 1947 v 3lwentr 130M 5. ORLANDO (Ittornegs Jan. 22, 1952 D, ORLANDQ 2,583,490

BOX DUMPING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l'mventcvr Do/v S. ORLANDO Gttornegs Jan. 22, 1952 D. s. ORLANDO BOX DUMPING MACHINE I Filed May 19, 1947 "4 Sheets-Sheet 4 w. a Li M [l O l H DON S. OKLA lnuentor NDO Gttornegs Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention concerns a box dumping-machine of the generaltype disclosed in the patents to Thompson et al., No. 1,926,318, of September 12, 1933, and to Northrup, No. 766,515, of August 2, 1904. The present application is in part a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 583,775, filed March 20, 1945, entitled Box Dumping Machine, now Patent No. 2,424,252, issued July 22, 1947.

In such box dumping machines, as ordinarily used, a stack of field boxes, four or five high and each loosely filled with fruit, is delivered to elevator means, whereby as the stack is gradually lifted, and each topmost box arrives at a pickup station, box-gripping means, properly synchronized with the elevator or conveyor, engage and lift and thereby separate this topmost box from any boxes in the stack which remain beneath it,,or from the elevator platform. Each such box is conveyed by the box-gripping means, or by subsequent means, through a box-dumping station Proper synchronization between the slow up ward movement of the stack elevator and the more rapid movement of the individual box-:gripping members through and past the pickup station is essential in such box-dumping mechanism, and adjustability or flexibility in such synchronization is also desirable for proper exactitude. The elevator becomes a problem as soon as the last box is lifted from it, for if it continues upwardly with its normal endless chain support, it may interfere with the box-gripping and fruitreceiving means; if it is disconnected from the chain for reverse movement downwardly to the stack-receiving level, synchronization between the stack elevator and the box-gripping memhers is interrupted, and must be automatically restored, with a minimum of lost time. .In the gripping of the individual boxes provision must be made for securing a firm gripon each box across a sufiiciently broad base, or along a sufiiciently extended line, that the box is held firmly and immovably with respect to the box-gripping specifically, it is one object of the present invention to provide box-gripping members which alone, or in conjunction with other members, will serve to steady the box merely by engagement with its opposite faces or ends, and which additionally is locally self-conforming to boxes slightly differently positioned or of slightly different size. g

It is also an object of this invention to provide a stack elevator which is elevated by a continuously advancing conveyor mechanism in the nature of an endless chain, which latter is properly synchronized at all times with the continuously moving box-gripping means, yet to permit disconnection of the elevator platform from the conveyor mechanism, and its reconnection therewith, in such manner that the stack-elevating platform itself merely rises and falls between ,a lower stack-receiving level and an upper level in the vicinity of the box-gripping station, and can only be reconnected to the endless chain in proper synchronization with the latter and, therefore, with the box-gripping mechanism. It is also an object, in connection with such mechanism so arranged, to provide for automatically releasing the elevator from its conveyor mechanism when the last box has been lifted from it, to permit the elevators prompt downward return to the stack-receiving level; also, it is an object to effect resynchronization thereof automatically, but as a result of conscious action by an attendant, whereby such time as is necessary for properly-positioning a new stack of boxes to be raised, or to accommodate breaks in the smooth flow of stacks to the machine, can be provided. 1

It is also an object of this invention-to provide simple, mechanism for accomplishing and -con- .trolling the box-gripping and releasing movements of the box-gripping members at the appropriate stations, and in this connection it is a further object to provide means whereby some adjustment may be accomplished of thepoint where the box-gripping members take hold of the box,

thus effecting closer synchronization between the stack-elevating means and the individual boxr pping means.

tion comprises the novel box-dumping mechanism as a whole, the novel parts thereof, and the novel combination and relative arrangement of these parts, all as shown in the accompanying drawings, as will be described in this specification, and as will be more particularly pointed out by the claims at the end hereof.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown in somewhat diagrammatic fashion, embodied in a preferred form and also in a soinewhat modified form.

Figure 1 isin general a side elevation of the box-dumping machine, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, somewhat enlarged.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on a vertical plane through the stack-elevating platform and its associated parts.

Figure 4 is an isometric view of the complete set of box-gripping members and auxiliary'members for engagement with one end of agbox, and Figure 5 is in general a'part-elevational view and part-sectional view through thesame.

7 figure. 6 is a plan viewsomewhat similar to Figure 2 of, a modified .form of the box-gripping members, and Figure 7 isa detail sectional view through the same taken substantially at .theiline .1- 1 ofFigure 6.

,Omitting consideration of the stack elevator until later, it may be assumed that the individual boxes 3 are ,presented at proper intervals .to a pickup station P, there to be engaged .by boxngripping. or -enga ging members so that each such 'boxisheld immovable with respect to such members, and by themis lifted from the pickup point .P, .iscarriejd through and tilted over or partially inverted by, the time it reaches a dumping ,sta

ition D. and then is carried on to a station 'R which is substantially diametrically opposite the p'ickup station P, at whichstation R the box is .leleased, to beborne off by suitable means, while the box-gripping members which held it continue on in a closed path, so that eventually they arrive zagain at the pickup station P in time to pick up another'boxif one be waiting there.

angularly spaced one behind another, so that it is not necessary to wait for one individualset complemented by an opposite arm at the other end of "the shaft.

*Thejbox-gripping members, as shown, are of two kinds. Either kind may be used alone, or

if-used-conjointly, each will supplement the other.

For convenience "the members 2 may be termed the pr1mary-box-gripping members andthe mem- "bers 3 may betermed the auxiliary 'bomgrippin members.

1 The members .2 are similar to those disclosed in my copending application referred to above, and grip adjacent opposite corners of the box so that, there being fourof them, the

four corners of'the box are gripped simultaneous- .ly. It was found, however, that these alonewould not always grip and hold a filled box suificiently securely, particularly if the box happened tube li htly displaced as it arrived at the pickup station, or if it happens to vary slightlyfrom the Preferablythereare several sets of box-gripping members,

which extend across the face outward of the box.

or the "end, .as illustrated, and engage the box along *a line sufliciently extended in length to steady the box. The two members 3 press directly toward one another to squeeze the box between them. 7

Upon a'furcated extension I l of each radiating arm l0 :aflever 2B is pivotally supported at 2! between its ends, and supports the radially outermost of thegripping members 2. A similar lever 22 gpivoted at 23 is formed with gear segments meshing with complemental gear segments, as indicated at 24 in Figure 4, whereby to reverse ,theldirection of swing of .theilever 25which carries the radially innermost of a pair of gripping members .2. .Thejlevers 2i! and 22 are connected .by the link, 12.6, and this system of levers -is rocked, to cause the paired members 2 to approach one another or to recede from one ,anothenby means such as the'rod M3 and link from the same by means of an actuating level.

3| pivoted at '32 upon the extension H, and connectedlby a link 33 to the pivot 42 where'the link '4! and rod 4! connect to the lever .22. p The parts are so organized and arranged that whenever the pair' of members .2 are swung towards one another 'to gripa box, the bars 3 are swung inwardly'also'to grip the box, and vice versa.

Preferably, each of the members 2 and 3 ismounted,'with respect to its immediate support,

' for limited yielding, as, for example, by the springs 21 and '31. .Stop means 28 and 3? limit the movement of thesemembers'under the influence of their springs. In addition, it is preferred "that the box-engaging faces of each be of relativelysoft rubber, not only for gripping, but for conformance locally to variations in position or size-and shape of the box.

; cam '4 of suitable shape. Such a cam would have tion'P, 'and'would have a similar and almost as abrupt drop at to effect release of the boxes at'the releasing station R. Intermediate these drops it "may 'be substantially of circular conformation. Motionis communicated to the rod 40 preferably through a bell crank lever 45 pivotedonnthe arm it at MS and having one end connected' through a link 4'! with the rod All and carrying at its other end a cam follower rol- 'ler 48. A spring29 urges therod 4 inwardly.

.Since it maybe desirable to effect some slight. angular adjustment of the position of thecam surfaces 44 and. 45, in order that the box-grippingmembers may engage the more slowly moving box precisely at the proper instant at the pickup stationP the cam, while fixedin theordinary sense during operation, is nevertheless slightly adjustable with respect to the frame brackets 90 by means such as the arcuate slots and clamping bolts at; 49.

Dumping of the fruit commences when the box has been sufficiently elevated somewhat above the pickup point P and has been tilted sufficiently by its advance through a given angularamount toward the dumping station D. Means must be provided beneath the dumping point to receive the fruit and to start it on its way. To that end I provide a belt or moving apron 5 disposed intermediate the arms ID and: passing about rollers 50, 5|, and 52, and about the shaft I, which drives it. This mechanism may be supported in part from brackets 56 which are part of an inclined chute 54 down which the fruit slides, to be received upon an off-bearing conveyorbelt 55.

The boxes, upon arriving at the releasing point R, being released by the cam follower roller 48 passing down the incline 44, are deposited upon an off-bearing belt or similar conveyor C, by which they can be conveyed to a distant point for collection and reuse.

The boxes, in stacks of four or five, are brought in on'hand trucks or the like, and are deposited on the level S adjacent the platform 6. This platform is supported upon brackets .60, supported and guided by rollers 6| running in an upright channel guide 62. Adjacent the guide 52 is a second guide 63, wherein runs the upwardly trending run of an endless conveyor chain 64 or the like, which is driven continuously and at a steady rate from the motor M by suitable drive means, such as the chain 65. The chain 64, then, is synchronized with the drive of the arms l0, andruns continuously, as the arms rotate continuously.

The platform, however, is only intermittently connected to the chain 64 for elevation by the latter. When connected, care must be taken to insure synchronization between the time of arrival of the topmost box of a stack on the platform at the pickup station P, and the arrival at that station of a set of box-gripping members. The box-gripping members move appreciably more rapidly than the boxes are elevated by the platform, and proper synchronization at this point is essential.

To these ends a releasable interengagement is provided between the platform and the conveyor at definite intervals along the length of the conveyor. Thus at suitable intervals the conveyor has register means in the form, for instance, of a laterally projecting pin 66, wherewith may be engaged a bolt 1 carried by and slidable laterally with respect to the platform 8, provided the bolt is projected into the path of the register means 56.

The bolt 1 is biased by means such as the spring 10, for retraction out of the path of the register pin 66, but the bolt I may be projected into the path of the register means by depression of a, pedal 1|, or by any equivalent means. It is held in such projected position by a dog 12, engageable within a notch 13 in the bolt, and this dog, pivoted upon the platform, has an end 14 which projects into the path of a fixed trip 15, located adjacent the upper end of the travel of the platform, that is to say, in the vicinity of the pickup station P. Following movement by the pedal of the bolt I into pin-engaging position, a spring 16 withdraws the pedal H from its position behind the bolt 1 when the pedal is released, and the bolt has been engaged by the dog 12 to latch it in its projected or pin-engaging position.

A stack of boxes B is mov d over the platform 6 in the lowered position of the latter, which is slightly below the stack-receiving level S. The

operator steps on the pedal H and then releases it, and now the bolt 1 has been projected, and lies in the path of the next arriving register means 66. The position of the latter is in rigid synchronism with the rotation of the arms Ill.

As the register means 66 arrives beneath the bolt 1, it engages the bolt, and thereby lifts the platform and the stack of boxes upon the platform. The stack of boxes is elevated, and as the topmost box in turn arrives at the pickup station P, it is gripped and lifted by the box-gripping members 2 and 3, and is gradually inverted as it passes through the dumping station D, and when it finally reaches the releasing station R it is released, and is carried off by the conveyor, C. The fruit, in the meantime, has tumbled upon the apron 5 and down the chute 54, to be carried off by the off-bearing conveyor 55. When the last or lowermost box of a stack has been lifted at the pickup station P, the trip end 14 of the dog 12 is immediately engaged with the fixed trip 15, releasing the dog from its engagement with the bolt 1, permitting the boltto withdraw from supporting engagement above the register pin 65, and immediately the empty platform drops. Its downward movement may be slowed by damping or counterweighting means, or its arrival at the bottom may be cushioned by suitable cushioning means, none of which has been shown, since any convenient means to these ends may be employed, and such means are known. The platform is then ready to receive a following stack, and again starts upwardly.

It will probably happenthat one or more arms It! will pass the pickup station P while the platform is dropping, while a new stack is being placed thereon, and while the platform is rising to bring the topmost box to the pickup station. This is not harmful, for equivalent delays would arise in other stages of the operation, and it is in fact desirable to permit intervals between the dumping of a stack of boxes and the dumping of the next stack, in order to permit following operations to be performed with sufficient care.

In Figures 6 and 'l a simplified form of the boxgripping members and their actuating means is shown. The elevator, the fruit-receiving apron, and like accessories have been omitted for clearer showing. In these views only the box-gripping members 3 are employed, and these are pivotally mounted at 84, between their ends, up on the radial arms H, which correspond gen- .erally to the arms I I], but which in this instance are pivoted upon a transverse axis 13, which intersects the axis of the shaft I, so that the arms It." may rock to a limited extent each about its transverse axis l3. Each box-gripping member 3 is supported yieldably from its supporting arm 12' by the springs 35.

Tilting of the arms [2, about their transverse axes i3 is accomplished by means of the cam follower rollers I4, which engage the crowned cam 4, which, like the cam 4, is fixed; The arrangement is such that as the arms l2 are tilted to cause approach of the box-gripping members 3' at the pickup station P, they are separated at the opposite ends of the arms 12', to release the box at the releasing station R. Between these stations the box-gripping members are maintained in firm engagement with the opposite through the dumping station D. The rubber 'face-of each, and the conformance by means of the springs*35fpermitthe b oxgrippin g members 3' to accommodate 'theniselves to boxes slightly difierently positioned, or slightly varying in size and shapeifrom the normal, andyet to gripeach box securely. r

I claim as'my in-vention: 1. Box-dumping mechanism comprising tw axially spaced supports rdt'ative -"coniointly, a 'boxgr'ipping element carried by each support,

outwardlyof its r'otative axis, facing and 'coactmg with the like "element 'on the axially-spaced support and'mounted for movement towards and a from the same andforfned for engagement with at a pickupfs tatioh, in'position to be so engaged, means to rotate the supports to present the several c'oacting box-gripping elements at the pickup station as such a box arrives there, and means controlling the several coacting box-gripping elements sotoengag'e such box at the pickup station substantially simultaneously, to retain it relatively "immovable, though rotative bodily with the supports, as it is carried and tilted through a dumping station, and to release the box'at a releasing "station beyond the dumping. station.

2. Box-dum'ping'mechanism as in claim 1, the control meansbeing 'formed as a cam nonrotatively fixed, and means to adjust the cam angularly about the a'xisof rotation, to vary the point of engagement of the box-gripping means with the'box.

3. Box-dumping mechanism defined in claim 1, wherein the control means includes separate mounting meansfor each of the first-mentioned gripping elements, operable to move such gripping means toward and from its support, outof and into engagement with the adjacent end face of a box, and yieldable resilient means interconnecting each such first-mentioned gripping elements and its mounting-means to enable relative movement of said mounting means toward the end face of a box after gripping engagement of such end face by Said gripping elements.

4. Box-dumpin mechanism defined in claim 1, wherein the control means controlling'a pair of the further gripping elements and the associated first-mentioned gripping elements includes a cam, a cam follower engaging such cam and-mounted on the vsupportfor all such gripping elements for rotation conjointly therewith, separate means operatively interconnecting said cam follower with such pair of further gripping elements and with such first-mentioned gripping elements for conjoint operation of all thereof by relative, rotative movement of said cam follower over said cam, and yieldable resilient means included in each of said separate connecting means for yielding of either of such connecting means should either the first mentioned gripping eles ments or the pair o! fur ther-z gri'pping elements connected thereto, as thecase may be, come into gripping engagement with the box before the other may do so, therebyto insure "gripping of such box by all of said elements uniforml :irrespective of'minor variations in position and size of individual boxes.

5. Bo'xdumping mechanism comprising two axially spaced supports rotative c'onjointly, a box-gripping bar carried by each supoprt outwardly of its rotative axis, for shifting each towards and from the baron the opposite support, said bar's when farthest separated being spaced sufficiently to receive a "box between them, and when closest together grippingly engaging'the opposite axial-1y spaced-faces of such box, means restraining rotation or each bar on its support about any axis parallel to the supports axis of rotation,auxiliary gripping means carried by the respective supports, complemen'tal to each pair of box-gripping bars, in position to engage with thebox'adjacentjits corners, cam means operatively connected to said bars and to the corresponding auxiliary gripping means for conjoint movement to engage them with and disengage them from each individual box substantially simultaneously, by rotation of said supports, and means to rotate said supports, with said bars, said auxiliary g'ripping means, and the thus-engaged box, said cam means being arranged to effect gripping engagement of a box as the bars are rising through apickup station, to retain such engagement as the boX tilts through a dumpi-n'g station, and to release the box at a release station, beyond such dumping station.

6. Box dumping mechanism as defined in claim 5, including bar-mounting means to support each bar from its =support, said bar-mount ing means being individually and locally resi1- iently yieldable, in 'adirectio'n generally parallel to the axis of rotation, to accommodate boxes which are intially misplaced somewhat at the pickup station, or which depart somewhat from REFERENCESCITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 766,515 Northrup Aug. 2, 4 1,519,736 Lewis Dec. 16, 192 i 1,861,634 Lathrop June 7,1932 1,926,318 Thompson et a1. Sept. '12, 1933 2,424,252 Orlando July 22, 1947 

